Swiss Review / April 2022 / No.2 19 Politics Overview of all the votes on 15 May Frontex: As a member of the Schengen Area, Switzerland should contribute financially to the expansion of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, says parliament. Left-wing activists have forced a referendum to contest this decision (see page 17). Organ donations: Controversially, the Federal Council and parliament want to amend the Transplantation Act. In future, it would mean that anyone who does not wish to donate their own organs when they die must make this explicitly known during their lifetime (see pages 20 and 21). Film Act: Under the revised FilmAct, streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ will in future be obliged to invest four per cent of their annual Swiss revenue in Swiss film productions. The youth wings of the FDP, SVP and GLP have launched a referendum against the revised FilmAct, which they fear will prompt streaming services to raise their subscription prices. (TP) No to abolishing stamp duty: Companies will continue to have to pay stamp duty on equity capital, after 63 per cent of the electorate rejected a proposal that would have led to annual tax losses worth 250 million Swiss francs. (TP) No to media subsidies: Newspapers, online platforms, and news agencies will not be receiving additional public sector funding, after 55 per cent of voters rejected a package of measures to help the media. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 Fresh attempt to secure bilateral agreements Since the abandonment of talks on a framework agreement in May 2021 (see edition 4/2021 of “Swiss Review”), the Swiss government has been looking for new ways to cooperate with the EU. The Federal Council has been preparing the outlines of a possible proposal. At the time of our editorial deadline in mid-February, details of the new agenda were still unclear. What we do know is that Berne wants to continue pursuing bilateral deals with the EU, despite Brussels having ruled out this option until now. The focus is on sectoral agreements that would also involve the incorporation of EU law. Berne wishes to secure exemptions on tricky domestic issues, such as wage protection and welfare benefits for EU citizens in Switzerland. “We must stop viewing this purely as a technical and institutional issue,” said the foreign minister and president of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis (FDP), in media interviews. “If policymakers and the public begin to realise what type of material benefits Switzerland can expect, then they will accept institutional rapprochement.” A broader approach to the negotiations was necessary, “in which both sides are willing to compromise”. However, it may still be some time before Berne and Brussels are reading from the same page. The disadvantages of being left out in the cold are already being felt, with the Swiss scientific community having lost direct access to key higher education and research projects funded by the EU. (TP) Swiss Abroad Swiss Abroad Media subsidies – yes votes in per cent Abolition of stamp duty – yes votes in per cent
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